SPONSOR:

Rep. Jaques & Sen. Ennis

Reps. Baumbach, Briggs King, Collins, Dukes, Hudson, Kenton, Mitchell, Paradee, D. Short, Spiegelman, Viola, Yearick; Sens. Hall-Long, Hocker, Marshall

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

149th GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HOUSE BILL NO. 26

AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 21 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO THE REGISTRATION OF VEHICLES.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE (Three-fifths of all members elected to each house thereof concurring therein):

Section 1. Amend Subchapter II, Chapter 21, Title 21 of the Delaware Code by inserting a new section 2139X as indicated by underlining as follows:

§ 2139X. Special license plates for veterans of Operation Desert Storm.

(a) (1) The owner of any vehicle described in paragraph (a)(2) of this section may apply to the Department for assignment to that vehicle of a special Operation Desert Storm veterans registration number; provided however, that the owner of the vehicle must possess official documentation which indicates that such owner is a veteran of Operation Desert Storm.

(2) This section applies only to:

a. A private passenger vehicle;

b. A truck with a three-fourths ton or less manufacturer’s rated capacity; or

c. A van with a three-fourths ton or less manufacturer’s rated capacity.

(b) Special registration may be issued by the Department under this section if the United States Department of Defense certifies that the applicant is a veteran of Operation Desert Storm.

(c) No fee in addition to the annual registration fee otherwise required by this title is required for registration under this section; provided however, that an original application under this section be subject to a $10 administrative fee, which shall be deposited into a special fund and used by the Division of Motor Vehicles for the purpose of administering this section and to fund Department projects notwithstanding the provisions of Chapter 13 and 14 of Title 2 to the contrary.

(d) Only 1 such plate shall be issued to an applicant.

(e) The Department shall reserve sufficient special license plates including the letters “ODS” and numbered consecutively beginning with the numeral “1” as are necessary to implement this section.

(f) Upon receipt by the Department of information that the individual to whom the special plate has been issued is deceased, the surviving spouse may transfer the plate to a vehicle owned by the spouse that meets the requirements of paragraph (a)(2) of this section as a valid registration plate. No fee in addition to the annual registration fee otherwise required by this title is required for registration. If no spouse exists at the time the Department receives information regarding the death of the individual to whom the special plate was issued, the Department shall write to the representative of that person’s estate, requesting that such plate be returned to the Department within 90 days.

SYNOPSIS

This act creates a special license plate for veterans of Operation Desert Storm.